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West Virginia water ban lifted in parts after chemical spill

Safe tap water gushed from faucets and shower heads in West Virginia on Monday, a welcome sight and sound for a small fraction of the 300,000 people who have not been able to use running water since a chemical spill five days ago.

300,000 people affected by contaminated water

Al Jones of the West Virginia department of General Services tests the water in a rest room on the first floor of the State Capitol in Charleston, Va., Monday, Jan. 13, 2014. (Steve Helber/Associated Press)

Safe tap water gushed from faucets and shower heads in West Virginia on Monday, a welcome sight and sound for a small fraction of the 300,000 people who have not been able to use running water since a chemical spill five days ago.

It could still be days before everyone in the Charleston metropolitan area is cleared to use the water, though officials said the water in certain designated areas was safe to drink and wash with as long as people flushed out their systems. They cautioned that the water may still have a slight licorice-type odour to it, raising the anxieties of some who believed it was still contaminated.

Residents still hesitant

"I'm not going to drink it. I'll shower in it and do dishes in it. But I won't drink it. I don't think it's (the chemical) all out," said Angela Stone, who started the 30-minute or so process of flushing her system out soon after the ban was lifted.

Officials were grateful to give the green light on Monday to about 6,000 to 10,000 customers. Gov. Earl Tomblin made the announcement at a news conference.

"We are finally at a point where the ‘do not use’ order has been lifted," Tomblin said.

We are finally at a point where the 'do not use' order has been lifted.- Earl Tomblin, Governor of West Virginia

The water crisis shuttered schools, restaurants and day-care centers and truckloads of water had to be brought in from out of state. People were told to use the water only to flush their toilets.

"Finally," said Stone's husband, James Parker. "I can finally take a shower, do dishes and cook some regular meals.”

Parker uses a cane and his wife, Angela Stone, is paralyzed on one side.

One of several distribution locations for bottled water opened Sunday morning, Jan. 12, 2014 for local residents. (Michael Switzer/Associated Press)

"We have mobility issues so it was hard going out and getting free water," he said.

Officials were lifting the ban in a strict, methodical manner to help ensure the water system was not overwhelmed by excessive demand, which could cause more water quality and service problems. An online map detailing what areas were cleared showed a very small portion in blue and a vast area across nine counties still in the ‘do not use' red.

Customers were credited with over 3,500 litres of water, which was likely more than enough to flush out a system. The average residential customer uses about 12,500 litres per month.

"It's not going to bother me as long as we know it's clean," said Peter Triplett, a state library commission worker whose home is near the first area allowed to use water. "It's been rough going."

The first area cleared was downtown Charleston, the state capital and its largest city. Hospitals were flushing out systems there and schools Superintendent James Phares said he hoped the largest two school systems could reopen Tuesday.

The water crisis started Thursday when a chemical used in coal processing leaked from a Freedom Industries plant into the nearby Elk River.

Odour complaints

Complaints came in to West Virginia American Water about the odour and officials discovered the source was the chemical 4-methylcyclohexane methanol that spilled out of a 151,000 litres tank.

In all, state officials believe about 28,000 litres leaked from the tank. Some of the chemical was contained before flowing into the river and it's not clear exactly how much entered the water supply.

Federal authorities, including the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, have opened an investigation.

Over the past few days, tests have showed that levels were consistently below a toxic threshold, and in some samples, there was no trace of the chemical at all.

In need of a reminder

Some people put plastic bags around faucets so that they were reminded not to use the water. Others have left town to take a shower and find an open restaurant.

Steve Graham, who works at Union Mission in downtown Charleston, said they handed out more than 150 pallets of bottled water packs since the weekend. Graham said the water ban slipped his mind Monday night.

"I got that mouthful of water in the middle of the night just waking up, and instantly you got that candy taste in your mouth," he said.

Graham said he rinsed his mouth out with bottled water and was fine.

Only 14 people exposed to the contaminated water were admitted to the hospital, and none were in serious condition. No fish kills were reported and there was no impact to aquatic life or wildlife, state officials said.

The chemical, even in its most concentrated form, isn't deadly. However, people were told they shouldn't even wash their clothes in affected water, as the compound can cause symptoms ranging from skin irritation and rashes to vomiting and diarrhea.

Company president Gary Southern held a brief news conference Friday night, but otherwise company officials have declined to comment.

"We have mitigated the risk, we believe, in terms of further material leaving this facility," he said.